Question

Difficulty: EasyDNS Lookup and Name Resolution Roles in Enterprise Networks

An administrator is reviewing DNS lookup behaviors and transport protocol characteristics for enterprise host name resolution. Which two statements correctly describe DNS operations and protocol roles during name resolution? (Choose two.)

  1. Standard client DNS query requests and small responses typically use UDP port 53 to reduce latency and header overhead.Answer
  2. B
    An iterative DNS query requires the queried DNS server to fully resolve the domain name on behalf of the client by contacting other authoritative servers.
  3. DNS switches to TCP port 53 when a response payload exceeds the standard buffer limit or during zone transfers between DNS servers.Answer
  4. D
    DNS queries use UDP port 53 because UDP inherently guarantees packet sequencing and automatic retransmission of lost queries.
  5. E
    Client workstations perform DNS reverse lookups using MX records to convert IPv4 addresses into Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs).

Answer

Standard client DNS queries primarily use UDP port 53 to minimize transport overhead, but DNS fallback to TCP port 53 occurs when response sizes exceed buffer limits or during server-to-server zone transfers.
DNS queries use UDP port 53 by default because connectionless transport reduces overhead and latency for simple lookups. When response data exceeds standard message length thresholds or during DNS zone transfers between servers, DNS relies on TCP port 53 for reliable connection-oriented delivery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify standard DNS transport behavior for general host queries.
DNS uses UDP port 53 for simple queries and responses to maintain low connection establishment overhead and quick lookups.
UDP is connectionless and optimized for lightweight request-response exchanges.
2
Identify conditions where DNS uses TCP instead of UDP.
TCP port 53 is used when response messages are truncated (exceeding standard UDP buffer size) or during bulk data synchronization such as zone transfers.
TCP provides reliable, stream-oriented delivery for large payloads or state transfers.

Key Concept

DNS Transport Protocols and Server Resolution Roles
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